Awakend
by Catheros
Summary: This is basically a descriptive piece on the return of Aku...it's my own take on it that I wrote when bored at about 2am so I appologise for being so unoriginal, I have added another part, lil' Jacks in this one. .
1. Awakend

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Aku although sometimes I wish I did because I like him best mwahaha! I simply am borrowing him for this little descriptive piece. I have also pinched the story in general from the start of the first Samurai Jack episode…it's not of my invention so don't even think it is ^_^.  
  
NOTE: This is a descriptive piece so don't expect much, the whole point is me trying to see how well I can do description as I consider it a weak point. Please no flames about tiny little details I may have changed. If I stuck entirely to the cartoon that would just be boring and pointless hehe. If people like this I have also written out my own take on when Aku attacks the town soooooo I can put that up soon if you want.  
  
1.1 Awakened  
  
An ominous sun rose steadily over the parched valley. Its rays crept slowly along the dried veins of the soil. The valley was aching for water but once again it failed to appear. The soil cracked in sorrow doomed to remain bone dry.  
  
Nothing grew here, well nothing that was truly living. The ashen trees were just empty shells. Broken, split, some fallen with their last desperate grasp for water, these trees littered the valley floor. Not one had leaves only twisted branches reaching in desperation for the red morning sky.  
  
The vein like gorges in the soil snaked towards each other and congregated at the base of a very different tree. This one was pitch black and towered like a skyscraper above the pathetic trees that circled it. It only had branches at the top; the body and base were bare, as cracked as the inferior specimens around it. It was firmly rooted in place; the lengthy roots were sewn several times into the blistered soil. This tree was different; it was alive.  
  
The valley groaned as a dark ball rolled over the disc of the sun blocking the vital but saturated rays. Storm clouds stampeded overhead in a long train; teasingly they did not offer rain. The clouds split as a jolt of sharp electricity plunged through the sky into the wasteland. It travelled along the veins, many trees along the way succumbed to this assault and fell to the ground shattering as flames engulfed their dead shell.  
  
A burst of brilliant energy shot from the eclipsed sun and wrapped around the black tree as electricity  
  
snaked forward to those tangled roots. The two energies met, forever entwined around the master tree and sucking each other's energy to give life, the life this tree had begged for.  
  
The disc of the moon retreated killing the energy blast while the slight cooling breeze banished the storm clouds. Unfortunately the short energy burst had been enough. The tree began to move, it rose taller casting a hideous shadow over the ashes of its former companions. Its shape was altered now, the sides flowed curvaceously until it drastically thinned at the base. The string thin roots tore at the dried valley that held them prisoner; slowly unthreading as the creature rose. Once up-rooted the growth stopped and there was a deadly silence.  
  
The wind blew stronger now causing the gown like rags at the base of the being to flap – a sound that will have chilled the hearts of many on such a lonely day. It raised one of its bony arms and curled the razor sharp claws towards the palm as the sensation of touch slowly filtered through its body like pins and needles. The thing was focusing on this arm trying to allow site to return faster. Then it turned…  
  
…Anything standing behind it the moment it turned will have been struck with the numbness of terror. The surviving trees closest to it groaned with age as even they in their death like state were in fear. Their roots suddenly rotted and they fell in respect to the former master tree.  
  
This amused it. A nightmarish permanent grin widened on its dark green face on seeing this action. Its hateful round eyes were ringed with fire, the stand out feature of the being but also its dreaded weapon. The grin turned to a sneer causing its sharp white teeth to protrude even more out of its red mouth. The wonder of memory returned, cascading through the creature's cruel mind. It continued to inspect its arm and then twiddled part of the flame-coloured beard that rested against its long neck between the index claw and thumb. The numbness of stasis had not quite worn off as movement for now however slight was quite painful.  
  
The sky darkened in sorrow at the awakening of this demon. The wispy cirrus clouds reached out of pity towards the peaceful town beyond the valley; the town that those horrid eyes flared up in anger at as they fixed on it with rage.  
  
" So…once again Aku is free…now it is time that my revenge be completed…" it sneered to itself in a low spiteful voice. The thought of revenge made it laugh, it was hungry for carnage and despair.  
  
" Soon this valley will run red with the blood of man!" it hissed clenching a fist as the emotion of anger completely seized its thoughts.  
  
It transformed into a black cloud, a sign of sorrow and floated menacingly towards the town cackling to itself in time with the single crack of thunder that roared overhead.  
  
The demon reached the boarder of the town and slowed its advance. The vegetation became ghost white and died as the cloud settled to reform; the demons touch was as deadly as it chose it to be. A loan cow had strayed from the cattle herd and was unfortunately on that same patch of vegetation. It aged dramatically, calling out in distress as Aku touched it. The skin folded inwards clinging until the poor animal was practically skeletal. With one last gasp it coughed up a stream of blood and collapsed at the foot of the now reformed Aku who chuckled with triumph.  
  
The townspeople were completely unaware of the return of this crafty, murderous, tyrannical demon. They would live to regret their ignorance and many would die horribly for it… 


	2. The Return of the Demon

Here's my take on the next part of the Samurai Jack opening episode. I've had to rate it because I have included something the cartoon could not…wonderful glorious gory bits hehe. It's not that bad really, but I suppose I'd best be careful.

Awakened - Chapter two: The Return of the Demon

The eclipse had caused little panic in the town. There were the endless cries of a man condemned for being mad and that was all. He was chained like an animal in the square to be made an example of. He yelled obscenities in his native Japanese with an increasingly strained voice, speaking rapidly of this dreadful omen.

From his small balcony overlooking the entire town a little boy watched this raving towns person with amusement. His father, the Emperor was pacing along the marble floor pointing at painting inscribed proudly on the walls of the well-lit room. The sunlight, free from the bounds of the moon eclipsing it showered onto the colourful story those walls told, the images leaping to life basking in its golden rays. The boy was only half listening but suddenly at the utter of one dreadful word he turned to face his kind hearted father.

"My son, I thought that would get your attention but worry not for as you can see with the aid of the magical Katana I was able to banish Aku to an eternal imprisonment," said the Emperor placing a comforting hand on the little boys shoulder as he knelt in front of him. The boy stared wide-eyed as his father pointed him to a tall flight of stone stairs in the town centre. Atop the staircase was a glass container magnificently displaying the Katana held aloft by the mouths of two beautifully carved dragons.

"Always be alert my son, for evil is always lurking around the corner. In our minds and our hearts as much as physically placing itself amongst us. It is our legacy to make sure that does not occur," whispered the Emperor, he bowed to his son, who bowed in return and walked towards the back of the room to greet his wife.

The Empress looked with child-like glee at her son. He was very much like his father, sot black hair that would one day flow down his back like a waterfall as it grew and dark eyes that lit up with delight. His heart and courage already matched that of his father, he was small in height now but one day would grow tall, towering as a force of sheer might. His mothers hopes were no where near what reality would cruelly hold.

The boy stabbed at the air with his wooden sword causing his white Kimono to make a quiet swish as he moved gracefully. Both parents were filled with pride as they left the room with wide grins upon their noble faces to be elsewhere in the palace.

It was then that the boy learnt the true meaning of the darkest form of terror. As he fought imaginary demons a large shadow blocked the sunlight, looming over him consuming his entire colour. He turned slightly and leapt backward as a single large drop of human blood fell and stained the balcony floor, smattering along the decorated tiles and slithering towards the boys feet. He dared not to look up, wrestling with his natural desire to do so. Unable to hold curiosity at bay the boy turned fully and strained in the overcast light. A real demon stood threateningly in front of him! It narrowed those horrid flame ringed eyes in an expression of hate. The mouth turned up into a sneer ever more exposing terrible sharp curled teeth. The gleaming white was stained blood red.

The boy was transfixed as the demon raised a blood stained bony arm and released a tormented mass from its claws. A scream lodged in the back of the boys throat as a dismembered bloody body fell inches in front of him with a metallic clank. The mad towns person was no more. With a gurgle the scream of terror managed to escape alerting the parents to their sons distress as they paced half way down the hall.

The Emperor skidded on the pool of blood now seeping across the floor but stopped in time to see the familiar shape of Aku before him, laughing at the boy in his patheticness. The Empress grabbed her son before the beast could grasp him in his awful talons reaching out at the poor boy as he sobbed. She sprinted after her husband who was yelling at the top of his lungs for the army to attack.

From the archways along the ground floor the three royals could see that this evil being had already started a pile of bodies at its base. The poor towns people who had been in the square when it had arrived did not stand a chance. The boy felt even more rotted to the core on the site of such a waste of what had been perfectly happy lives.

The army had arranged itself into neat rows on the ground and all around the towering city walls. They circled Aku from all directions, he rose his arms and semi-clenched his claws in anger, looking misleadingly frustrated at being out numbered.

The first assault were pots of flaming coal boulders catapulted in unison at the beast. Aku was knocked backward as a few hit him but managed to remain upright swaying slightly. He snarled and grasped a passing boulder in his claws before throwing it back towards those who had aimed it at him. The splintering of wood and cracking of human bones rung out as the flaming boulder hit the catapult section. Those who were not crushed set alight and ran dazed as their flesh slowly burned. In panic they slipped on the blood oozing from underneath the boulder; some lucky enough to crack their heads open on the floor for a quicker exit.

Next the archers tried their luck. A shower of arrows, some tipped with fire, rained on the demon. Aku was taken by surprise as some managed to pierce his elbows and chest. Reeling back in pain he stumbled but began to chuckle again. He raised his arms in turn high above his head and sucked the arrows with no pain and little effort deep into his flesh. He picked out the few stuck in his chest and threw them at a loan soldier. Straightening his skinny arms in both directions he cruelly fired the arrows out of his black palms back onto the army. Many fell as the tips tore through their chests. Those on the walls fell over the edge to their death, some were blinded while others were either burning brilliantly or just in so much pain that they fell.

The Emperor felt sick at the site of his army's demise but had to watch one last man fall in the most atrocious way. A brave soul stepped forward in vain and the demon brutally crushed the challengers head against a wall, spilling the contents of his fragile skull in a stream of red against the pure white brick. The Emperor boldly decided to dash for the Katana assuming that Aku was too preoccupied with licking the blood from his spindly fingers.

The demon suddenly stopped as if it were charging up some sort of energy. The eyes glowed hot white and a deadly beam of flame swept along the walls severely wounding many more men. At that moment the Emperor sprinted partway up the stone stairway. Aku turned and growled,

"Not this time!" he hissed reaching out one of his long black arms and wrapping the thin clawed fingers around the vulnerable Emperor. The Emperor screamed as Aku squeezed him making the drawing of breath difficult, he chose his words carefully.

"My sweet wife! Aku has returned do as we have planed!" 

The boy was staring in shock, his lower lip trembled as tears began to well up in his widened eyes. He felt so useless and jumped as his mothers arm clamped down on his shoulder. A look of determination crossed her heartbroken face and she ran with all her strength to grasp the magical Katana. Aku was too busy picking up any further challengers and crushing their skulls in his free hand, the ground around him was now dark red, almost black with human blood. He failed to notice her.

Katana in hand, the Empress scooped her son up into her arms and dashed for the nearby harbour leaping over corpses and the dying as if they were hurdles. The smell was unbearable, it curled menacingly into her nostrils making her gag for air but it did not cease her from attempting her goal. The boy looked back over her shoulder one last time at his father and the demon. The Emperor had passed out and was lying limp over the demons knuckles. Aku continued to flame the buildings around him and laughed evilly at his own success.

The Empress placed her trembling lips on her sons pale cheek and handed him over to the Captain of the ship ready to immediately set sail from the harbour. The Captain bellowed the order to set out as soon as his rough fingertips touched the nervous little boy and set him onto the deck. The boy cried as the distance between him and his weeping mother grew larger, the ocean gaping below them. The Captain wrapped a muscular arm of comfort around the boys small frame. The Empress remain on the dock, crying and boldly awaiting her capture.

The ship had begun its long journey, the sky bleeding red as the town behind them burned. There was another crack of thunder as Aku laughed with satisfaction. The boy was just about able to see that the boarders of the town was indeed running red with the blood of man… 

I apologise for making it violent and once again not being very original. I just wanted to adapt this scene in my own way…thank you for reading it J .


End file.
